Picture this: it's lunchtime and the office kitchen is crowded with people using the microwave. The smells start to aggregate. A Lean Cuisine here. Leftover lo mein there. Then, before anyone can intervene, some fool coworker commits the biggest offense of all: he or she reheats last night's trout dinner. For the rest of the day, the office smells like the deck of a fisherman's vessel on a hot day.
Have you been a victim of Smelly Food? Or worse, are you the perpetrator — the insensitive, clueless turkey who burns the everloving daylights out of microwave popcorn, allowing that awful artificial-butter-on-fire smell to permeate the office? If so, it’s time for an intervention, PayScale-style. We asked our friends, family, and co-workers here at PayScale to share their lists of most annoying eating habits of their coworkers.
Foods That Drive Us Crazy
- Reheated fish. Because gross.
- Burnt popcorn. Fastest way to lose microwave privileges forever.
- Microwaved boiled cabbage. Can you not smell that?
- Broccoli. Save it for your house, please. It’s too pungent for the office.
- Corn Nuts. When chewed, these sound like tiny, yet very real, landmines of crunch that make people twitch. Plus, Corn Nut breath is highly offensive.
- Any loud, crunchy food, actually. Things that made the list: apples, chips, even ice. Please quit crunching ice. (Note: this author loves apples, so I rallied the PayScalers who share desk space near me to declare our area an Apple Friendly Zone. Life is good in the AFZ.)
People That Drive Us Crazy
- The Mannerless: Chewing with your mouth open, smacking your food, talking with your mouth full, leaving crumbs everywhere. Have you no dignity?
- Slurpers. Whether you are drinking tea or enjoying soup, please do so quietly, without those sloppy sounds that make people sick.
- Meal Commenters: “That looks disgusting.” “How can you eat that?” And the worst, “That is so fattening!” You can just keep your opinions to yourself while I eat my Dorito-Donut in peace, thank you.
- Slobs: You are a grownup, sir or madam. Wash your dishes.
But the worst thing that can happen in the office, when it comes to food? My favorite response comes from Aubrey, a PayScale co-worker:
“I hate having to sit in a conference room full of extra-aromatic cookies when I should not eat cookies because I had two plates of cheese for dinner. But that may be too personal.”
Tell Us What You Think
Is your biggest office-food pet peeve not listed here? Share your misery on Twitter using the hashtag #CasualFriday. Go ahead, vent a little. You’ll feel so much better.
(Photo Credit: Smile, It’s Shan/flickr)
I work in a very tiny office consisting of only 5 people including myself. My boss and my other coworker brings an apple to eat every damn day and it drives me insane. We don’t have lunch room/area so everyone has to eat at their desks. I can’t stand the sound so much that when they eat their apples I have to take a pause on what I am doing and plug my ears until they’re done. One day I… Read more »
Going Insane, you are suffering from Misophonia. I Understand you mate. You should see your GP soon. One fine day you might land up in jail for kicking a** of your boss. 😀